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A b s t r a c tIntroduction: Chronic urticaria (CU), in view of its manifestations (pruritus, wheals), chronic and recurrent nature is very bothersome for patients and significantly influences their quality of life. Aim: To assess the importance of sleep problems and sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs) declared by CU patients, for their quality of life. Material and methods: Twenty-eight patients with CU at an asymptomatic stage or with minimal symptoms and signs were qualified for the study. In these patients, assessment of urticaria severity, QoL and SRBDs incidence was carried out. Results: In a questionnaire study (CU-Q2oL), about 54% of the patients with CU complained of sleeping problems, about 80% reported significant fatigue and lack of concentration in the daytime. Respiratory polygraphy, an objective measure of sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs) demonstrated their higher incidence in patients with CU than in the general population, but these disorders were mild and had no influence on the reduced quality of life of the study patients, compared with a group of patients without SRBDs. Conclusions: The occurrence of SRBDs was found in 25% of patients with CU at asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic stages. The SRBDs in those patients were mild, required no treatment and their occurrence did not cause any significant reduction in their quality of life.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of nebulized salbutamol in infants with a history of wheezing. Eighty-eight children aged 3-24 months with a history of wheezing were studied, in seven groups: I (n = 15) and I/A (n = 17) with elevated specific airway resistance (SRaw); II (n = 17) with normal SRaw; III (n = 23), III/A (n = 17), and IV (n = 18) with normal SRaw exposed to carbachol bronchial challenge (CBC); and V (n = 13) serving as control. Infants for groups I/A and III/A were selected to match by age and by baseline and post-carbachol SRaw values, respectively. Baseline airway resistance and thoracic gas volume (TGV) were measured plethysmographically. Specific airway resistance was selected as an index of bronchial function. Thereafter every child in groups I, I/A and II inhaled 200 micrograms of salbutamol by tidal breathing, and the children in groups III, III/A, and IV were exposed to CBC. Following positive reaction to carbachol, children of groups III and III/A inhaled salbutamol (200 micrograms, tidal breathing), and those of group IV received no drug. Controls from group V with normal SRaw received placebo (phosphate-buffered saline). Plethysmography was repeated in all children at 5 minute intervals. Following salbutamol SRaw was reduced in children with elevated and normal SRaw. In contrast, children not receiving salbutamol had unchanged SRaw value. The response to salbutamol measured by SRaw, Raw, and TGV was not significantly different in the spontaneously obstructed infants compared to those who received carbachol. In conclusion, infants with a history of wheezing do respond to inhaled salbutamol.

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